Copyright Modern Hypnosis 2008-2012

How Will I Know I Am Hypnotised ?

A confident and experienced Hypnotherapist will perform a few simple tests. These tests which are commonly known as "convincers", show you that you are hypnotised. This might include the feeling of a hot blanket being thrown over you, when in fact there is no blanket at all. The Hypnotherapist might suggest, that you cannot lift your left arm. If you are in trance, then you will not be able to lift your left arm, as the suggestion is part of achieving your goal. The Hypnotist may use a few of these tests in one session, to help decide the best way to proceed with the therapy. These tests are not used to show power or to amuse (unless used by a Stage Hypnotist). They are used to enhance your experience and to make your goal more achievable. Clinical Hypnotherapy is very different from Stage Hypnosis.

A Stage Hypnotist is trained to use the hypnotic trance on highly hypnotic people. These people are usually selected from the audience after a hypnotic compatibility test has been done on the entire audience. It may be suggested that you cannot separate your hands after it was suggested they were glued together magically. Or perhaps it is suggested that you cannot sit down on your chair after it was suggested that your knees cannot bend. Those in the crowd who have been hypnotised by these suggestions are called somnambulists (highly hypnotisable). From those people, the Hypnotist will only actively use the ones who are able to perform when in trance. The rest, he/she will simply leave sitting in a chair, in trance, for the rest of the show. This would seem to be part of the act, but those "volunteers" will not perform in trance and cannot be used on stage for anything. A kind Stage Hypnotist will release the trance after a few minutes and send the non-performers back to their seats to watch the show.

A Clinical Hypnotherapist is trained to help people overcome habits, addictions, fears, pain and much more. This type of Hypnotist will take out the time to talk to clients and gain a better understanding as to why a smoker smokes, why someone over eats, why someone has a fear of flying or is experiencing pain for reasons known or unknown. A Clinical Hypnotherapist will try to get to the bottom of every issue and untangle the problem to discover the real reason behind an issue. The Clinical Hypnotherapist will usually aim to give symptomatic relief in the first session if there is to be more than one session. Additional sessions will be geared toward changing the way a person views or experiences something. Once this is achieved, long lasting results can be expected.